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Sustainable building with plastics? - Yes, they are compatible!
18.02.2022 - As the Polymer Technology Manager at the JACKON Group, Dr. Plate addresses the diverse aspects of sustainable building. He develops ideas and viable solutions for the future aimed at enhancing the sustainability of buildings and works on their successful establishment, sometimes jointly with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). He knows how important it is to have a common strategy amongst all of the stakeholders involved in the environmentally friendly production and disposal of plastic products. In the following interview, he explains why energy efficient construction and plastics are so compatible.
Interview with Dr. Mark Plate, JACKON Insulation GmbH
Dr. Plate, the use of petroleum-based plastics in sustainable building - are they compatible?
Dr. Plate: Very much so! When using plastics, it is all about “how”, not “whether”. The question is, how sustainably, intelligently and purposefully the materials are used. With our solutions made from XPS (rigid extruded polystyrene foam), we are helping to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, reducing the consumption of energy used for heating and therefore the associated CO2 emissions and contributing to climate protection. At the same time, XPS products give builders and owners security by permanently protecting the fabric of the building whilst not changing the excellent product characteristics. The attractiveness of our products comes from the positive contribution they make to the building's carbon footprint. In order to evaluate this contribution, we use indicators from recognised systems for sustainable building.
What are the benefits offered by XPS in particular?
Dr. Plate: One key advantage of the product is that only a few raw materials are needed for its production due to its low density. Furthermore, the products literally last the whole lifetime of the building due to their exceptional properties - and during this time, they save a lot more energy and resources than are used in their production. It is the high level of resistance, robustness and durability of XPS that make its clever use possible in floor slab insulation or in contemporary inverted roof systems. Another aspect is that it contains no hazardous substances whatsoever that could harm people or nature.
Do you deal with topics such as recycling and closed-loop material cycles?
Dr. Plate: Absolutely! Sustainability means looking beyond the many decades of use of our plastic products. This is why we are continuously optimising the consumption of materials and working on solutions for the circular economy such as taking back waste cut pieces, which can be reused. Moreover, the polystyrene in our products can be recycled. An additional possibility is that when XPS products are removed from one part of a building, they can be reused in another part without further ado.
How would you sum up the advantages of your products?
Dr. Plate: XPS systems stand for highly compression proof air that insulates exceptionally well and protects buildings. All JACKON products contribute to sustainable, energy efficient building and therefore a better world thanks to their thermal insulation properties. Plastics will also be vital for active and sustainable climate protection in the construction industry in the future.